穿越海洋-第三届全国英语演讲比赛冠军作品crossingtheseabylianglimin(梁励敏北京外国语大学)(获得第三届全国英语演讲比赛冠军)专家点评引用文学大师的诗句作为开场白，与结束语首尾呼应，颇有感染力。东西方文化的融合表现得十分鲜明，意味深长，是篇优秀的演讲。goodafternoon,ladiesandgentlemen.thetitleofmyspeechtodayis"crossingthesea".anenglishpoetbythenameofrudyardkiplingoncewroteinthispoem"weandthey"allthepeoplelikeusareweandeveryoneelseistheyweliveovertheseawhiletheyliveoverthewayweeatporkandbeefwithcowhorn-handledknivestheywhogobbletheirriceoffaleafarehorrifiedoutoftheirlives.whentheselinesfirstcaughtmyeyes,iwasshocked--howcouldtwopeopleremainsoisolatedandignorantofeachotherinthepast?today′ssociety,ofcourse,isanentirelydifferentpicture.thosepeoplewhousedtoeatwithgobbletheirricemightbeaswellhavetakentofishandchips.indeed,justtakechinaasexample;ourmodernlifehasbeeninfluencedbywesternstyleoflivinginsomanywaysthatit′snolongersurprisingtoseeteenagersgoingcrazyaboutrock-and-roll,wholefamiliesdiningoutatmcdonald′sandevenratherelderlypeopledressedinapplejeans.however,theseareonlysomeexpressionsoftheculturalchangestakingplaceinoursocietytoday.whatisreallygoingonisasubtlebutsignificantrestructuringofthenation′smentality.justlookaround.howmanycollegegraduatesarereadytocompeteaggressivelyforeveryjobopportunity,whereasnotlongagotheywereaskedjusttositidleandwaitforwhateverwastobeassignedtothembythegovernment?howmanyyoungpeoplearenoweagertoseekforanindependentlifewhereasonlytwodecadesagotheywouldrelytotallyontheirparentstoarrangefortheirfuture?askanyonewhoparticipatesintoday′sspeechcontest.whohasnotcomewithawilltofightandwhohasnotcomedeterminedtoachieveself-fulfillmentinwinningthegame?andi′mquitecertainthatifconfuciushadlivedtoseetoday′schina,hewouldhavebeenhorrifiedtoseeyoungloverskissingeachotherinpublicplacesinanunreservedexpressionoftheirpassion.itisthereforeevidentthatweasdescendantsofanancienteasterncivilizationarealreadylivingunderstronginfluenceofthewesternculture.butitisnotonlyinchinathatwefindtheincorporationofthetwocultures.taketheunitedstatesasanexampleduringthe1980s,infaceoftheoverwhelmingcompetitionfromjapan,manyamericancompaniessuchasthefordbegantoadoptateamworkmanagementfromtheirrivals,theessenceofwhich,layattheverycoreofeasternculture.takethechineseacupunctureasanotherexamplethistraditionaltreatmentofdiseasesisfinallyfindingitswaytothewestandhencetheunderlyingnotionthatillnessisresultedfromtheimbalancebetweenyinandyangwithinthebody--anideawhichwouldstrikeanywesternerasincredibleinthepast!ladiesandgentlemen,weliveinagreatepochwhentheglobalintegrationofeconomyandtheinformationrevolutionhavebroughtculturesoftheworldcloserthaneverbefore.weliveinaparticularerawhencountries,eastandwest,findthemselvesinneedofreadjustingtheirtraditionalvalues.welive,atthesametime,atacriticaljunctureofourevolutionbecausesuchproblemsasethnicconflictsandregionalunrestareincreasinglyposingathreattothepeaceandhappinessofthewholehumanrace.tocopewithsuchaneraandtoembraceanevenbrighterfuture,weneedtolearntolivemoreharmoniouslyinaworldcommunitywhichisbecomingsmallerandsmaller.mydearfellowstudents,ourcommandoftheenglishlanguagerendersitpossibleforustogainaninsightintowesternculturewhileretainingourownculturalidentity.therefore,itisoursacredresponsibilitytopromotetheculturalexchangesandhencethemutualunderstan...
